This invention relates to an apparatus for containing and dispensing fluid and more particular to a container having an integral measuring device for dispensing a predetermined volume of liquid.
The use of fluid products pervades all aspects of life. There are many types of containers that hold these products. For many applications, the entire contents of a container may be used at one time. For other applications, only a small amount of the fluid product may be required for an application, such as washing detergent, bleach, fabric softener, drain opener, floor wax, cooking oil, lubrication oil, insecticide, etc. In cases where only a small amount of the product is required at any one time, there is usually a need to measure the amount of the product to use in that application. One common measuring means utilizes the container cap as the measuring device. The cap may have a built-in cup with various graduations or xe2x80x9cfill linesxe2x80x9d representing different fluid volumes. Other containers may have graduations along the side to assist in dispensing a desired amount of fluid. Where such measuring aids are not incorporated into the container itself, one may have to find other means to measure the amount of fluid necessary for a specific application. The extra time and effort needed to find and utilize a suitable measuring device presents added difficulties. The procedure of pouring the fluid from the storage container to a measuring container and then to the container in which the fluid is to be utilized is a tedious and time-consuming process. In addition, because of the variations in the size and shape, sight-measuring aids such as this can yield inaccurate and imprecise results.
There are many different containers that dispense fluid in measured amounts, where the container holds a substantially greater amount of the fluid relative to the dispensed amount. Many of these devices have the capacity to store, measure and dispense fluids without the need for sight measuring. Such characteristics are desirable especially when contact with the fluid could be harmful to humans, such as poisons, bleach, etc. Typically however, prior art devices capable of dispensing a measured volume of fluid are unduly complex in design and manufacture, undependable and expensive. It is this complexity and multi-peice design that prevents prior art devices from being profitable and thus not marketable in today""s competitive environment.
Specifically, many such pouring devices have been made which themselves combine the pouring function and the measuring function so that as the pouring operation proceeds, a fixed volume of fluid will be dispensed with each pouring operation. However, many of these devices are bulky and have complicated inner structures. In addition, the complexity of the device make it difficult and expensive to manufacture. Further, many of these devices are undependable and inaccurate when attempts are made to rapidly and successively dispense fluid therefrom in controlled quantities. Therefore, there remains a need for a one step self-measuring container that can reliably dispense a specific amount of fluid while at the same time having a simplified one-piece body structure which facilitates manufacturing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container that dispenses a specific amount of fluid during each pouring operation.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a self-measuring dispensing container in which the amount of measured fluid to be dispensed can be adjusted.
It is another objective of this invention to provide a self-measuring dispensing container that is only one piece.
It is a fourth objective of the present invention to provide a container that automatically measures a specific amount of the fluid in the container for pouring.
It is a fifth objective of the present invention to provide such a container that when blow molded, requires a reduced draw ratio.
It is a sixth objective of this invention to provide a such container with the potential for a low pour angle configuration.
It is a seventh objective of this invention to provide such a container with smooth sides for increased effectiveness in labeling.
The present invention is a container that dispenses only a specific amount of a fluid substance each time the fluid is poured from the container. This container has a storage chamber or reservoir where the fluid initially resides and a dispensing chamber, below the storage chamber, where the specific amount of the fluid that will be dispensed during the next pouring operation resides. An aperture at one end of the container connects the storage and dispensing chambers. This aperture permits the fluid in the storage chamber to flow into the dispensing chamber. The container dispenses the substance through an exit channel that extends from the dispensing chamber to the top of the container. A second channel provides a vent to the storage and dispensing chamber. A diaphragm adjacent the dispensing chamber may be incorporated to permit the volume of said chamber, and hence the volume of liquid measured therein, to be adjusted. Additionally, a low draw ratio (depth/width of draw) feature may be included in the bottom of the container to form the dispensing chamber to allow increased ease of manufacturing and to facilitate the changing of the dosing volume at the manufacturing level.
In operation, the container is initially filled with a fluid. In an upright position, the fluid in the storage chamber will flow into the dispensing chamber until the dispensing chamber is full. During a pouring operation, the container is tilted to pour the fluid from the dispensing chamber. The fluid in the dispensing chamber will exit the container through the exit channel. The tilted position of the container and the bottom of the storage chamber prevent any of the fluid in the storage chamber from flowing into the dispensing chamber and through the exit channel. After the pouring operation ends, the container is repositioned to an upright/vertical position. As the tilt angle decreases during the repositioning of the container, the fluid in the storage chamber again begins to flow into the now empty dispensing chamber. The flow of fluid into the dispensing chamber will continue until the dispensing chamber becomes full. The container is then ready for the next pouring operation.